Andrews University Agenda

Andrews University Agenda http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/ News and Events at Andrews University en-us Copyright 2026, Andrews University Sun, 4 Oct 2026 11:22:00 +0000 Sun, 4 Oct 2026 11:22:00 +0000 webmaster@andrews.edu webmaster@andrews.edu Andrews Participates in Brazil Mission Study Tour http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/70376 <p> From June 7–21, a group of 35 students, faculty and staff from Andrews University participated in the 2026 Amazon Brazil Mission Study Tour. Sponsored by the Master of Divinity program, the study tour provided students with opportunities to apply their theological education through immersive cross-cultural ministry. Each participant witnessed God’s work through evangelism, service and partnerships with local churches.</p> <p> The group of 29 students and six employees traveled to Manaus, Brazil, before beginning their journey to remote communities along the Amazon River. Living and traveling aboard a riverboat, the participants worked alongside indigenous church leaders and local communities through children’s ministries, school outreach, home visitation, health expos, music ministry, community service and construction projects. Students also preached a full series of evangelistic meetings in three different communities, sharing the Word of God passionately and powerfully. The experience allowed each individual to serve in practical ways while learning from the faith and resilience of the communities they visited.</p> <p> One of the team’s major projects took place in the village of Puru Puru, where participants helped complete the floor of a new church building. Working alongside local church members, students mixed concrete by hand to provide additional space for the growing Adventist congregation. They also visited local homes, prayed with families, shared Bible messages and supported ministries already established in the community.</p> <p> Master of Divinity student Seongsoo Kim served as a group leader and preached during evangelistic meetings in Puru Puru. “I understand that ministry is not accomplished through my own efforts, but rather through God,” he says. “No matter where I go to carry out my ministry, I know that God’s presence is already there ahead of me.” Kim affirms that the experience strengthened his faith and encouraged him to remain focused on mission in his future ministry.</p> <p> Uarlisson Machado, logistics coordinator for the tour, helped oversee the spiritual and logistical aspects of the program. “The goal was to ensure that the study tour provided not only a well-organized international experience but also a meaningful educational, spiritual and cross-cultural learning opportunity for every participant,” he says.</p> <p> Although the participants faced challenges, including intense heat, adapting to life aboard a riverboat and serving in unfamiliar environments, they returned with a deeper appreciation for global mission. Through their partnership with local churches and communities, students saw how God was working with the people they served.</p> <p> “The greatest lessons in ministry are often learned not in the classroom, but in the mission field, where students discover that God transforms both those who are served and those who serve,” shares Fernando Ortiz, director of the Master of Divinity Program and general coordinator of the tour.</p> <p> The Amazon Brazil Mission Study Tour reflects Andrews University’s commitment to preparing students for Christ-centered service. By combining classroom learning with hands-on ministry experiences, the program equips future leaders to serve with compassion, cultural awareness and a dedication to sharing the gospel around the world.</p> <div> <u font-size:="" ibm="" plex="" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); box-sizing: border-box;">                    </u></div> <div> <div font-size:="" ibm="" plex="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">  </div> <div font-size:="" ibm="" plex="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> To learn more about studying at Andrews University, please visit <a href="https://www.andrews.edu/admissions/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 74, 128); text-decoration: none;">Enrollment</a>. </div> <div font-size:="" ibm="" plex="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">  </div> <div font-size:="" ibm="" plex="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> If you’re interested in joining the Andrews University team, please see the list of available <a href="https://www.andrews.edu/services/hr/job_seekers/index.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 74, 128); text-decoration: none;">positions</a>. </div> <div font-size:="" ibm="" plex="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">  </div> <div font-size:="" ibm="" plex="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> We invite you to support the Andrews University mission by making a <a href="https://www.andrews.edu/services/development/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 74, 128); text-decoration: none;">donation</a>.</div> <div font-size:="" ibm="" plex="" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> <br /> Please read more about great things happening at Andrews University <a href="https://www.andrews.edu/agenda/feed/Agenda:+Campus+News/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(0, 74, 128); text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</div> </div> Thu, 01 Oct 2026 16:44:20 +0000 Tour Egypt (June 26 to July 2, 2026) http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/68797 <p> Marjor sites vistited: Tyramids, Sphynx, museums, Sinai, Luxor temple, Valley of the Kings, etc.</p> Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:51:35 +0000 Horn Lectureship Series http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/67604 <p> The Horn Lectureship Series presents "Exploring the Composition of the Pentateuch" on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, at 7 p.m. in the Seminary Chapel.</p> <p> "Narrative Coherence in Genesis 37, Exodus 14, and Numbers 16: Three Confusing Texts Reflecting Confusion at the Moment" will be presented by Gary A. Rendsburg, professor of biblical studies, Hebrew language and ancient Judaism. Additionally, "The Unity of Exodus 14" will be presented by Joshua Berman, Orthodox rabbi and professor of Bible.</p> <p> Undergraduate cocurricular credit is available.</p> Thu, 04 Sep 2025 11:36:34 +0000 Jaime Jorge in Concert http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/61662 <p> Jaime Jorge will be in concert at the Howard Performing Arts Center on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 6 p.m. This concert is free of charge for admission and is also a fundraiser for Care for Cuba. Care for Cuba (<a href="https://careforcuba.org/">https://careforcuba.org/</a>) trains and empowers pastors, Bible workers, and volunteers to do evangelism and Bible studies in Cuba. Your generous donations given at the concert will go to support crucial ministry resources for the churches and pastors there.</p> Thu, 20 Oct 2022 16:05:55 +0000 The Everlasting Gospel and the Church School http://www.andrews.edu/agenda/57952 <div> It is interesting to me that when I ask my students and other pastors what the message of the first angel of Revelation 14 is the majority typically reply, “fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgment is here.” I have also seen posters in the hallways of Adventist churches and church schools that declare the same. It has been many years now that I have been thinking about this and why the Adventist church has typically left out the first verse of the message of the first angel of Revelation 14, which is verse 6. </div> <div>  </div> <div> “And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people.” Rev 14:6 NLT</div> <div>  </div> <div> Why have we traditionally left the gospel message out of our evangelism and teaching? I am not a church historian or theologian and I have not come across any articles discussing this issue so the best explanation I have been able to think of is that when our church was born in the mid-1800s the country was seemingly on fire with the gospel. There were revivals across the country with preachers preaching passionately everywhere—people were giving their lives to Christ in large numbers. Within the context of this great religious revival some of our early church pioneers gave themselves up to spending great amounts of time studying the Scriptures. As they studied they were led by the Holy Spirit into the re-discovery of biblical teachings and doctrines such as the state of the dead and the seventh-day Sabbath.</div> <div>  </div> <div> It is my assumption that because everyone in that day already seemed to be so on fire for the gospel—to the point of some selling all that they owned to support the spread of the gospel—they focused on writing the new teachings they had discovered and teaching these to the people that came to hear them preach. In this way Adventist “distinctive” truth was talked about separately from the gospel foundation upon which it was born.</div> <div>  </div> <div> The problem, as I see it, is that many Adventists have maintained an almost exclusive focus on our distinctive truths in spite of the fact that today’s cultural context has dramatically shifted from a gospel-saturated culture to a very secular cultural environment. I believe that the result of this shift in culture and a lack of a corresponding shift in Adventist teaching has resulted in the foundation that our distinctive truths was built upon no longer being there to hold us up as it once did. As a youth pastor it always frustrated me that our denomination seemed to “assume” that children born into Adventist homes would somehow automatically become Adventists themselves without any special focus other than a series of doctrinal baptismal classes. Even though Ellen White arguably wrote more on the life of Christ than any other topic (Desire of Ages, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, Christ’s Object Lessons, Confrontation, Steps to Christ, etc) the fact that we have somehow failed to introduce our children to Christ and the gospel, which was her primary focus, is evidenced by the loss of 50-70% or more of our young people from the church (depending on which studies you look at).</div> <div>  </div> <div> These thoughts help me to understand why traditional Adventist evangelistic meetings are no longer bearing the fruit they once did—we have been trying to use the methods that were very effective in a gospel-saturated culture in a now secular culture. I believe the answer to once again being better able to reach the world around us is to develop a greater focus on the gospel. Since secular people are rather hesitant to respond to a flier in the mail inviting them to go to a church, we need to find new methods to aid in fulfilling the gospel commission that we so dearly love—and in many places we have. One of the best new ways I have seen to reach the world around us with the gospel is through intentionally making our church schools centers of gospel evangelism for our communities. </div> <div>  </div> <div> When we choose to develop a gospel focus in our church schools we are also helping to restore the full message of the first angel of Revelation 14 in the lives of our church members and their children, and in the message we share with the world around us. When we develop gospel-centered humanitarian outreach projects and programs based out of our church schools we help our young people to go beyond understanding the teachings of the Bible and are showing them how to “live” the teachings of the Bible in every-day life. In my experience in youth and young adult ministry for the past 30 years, if we don’t teach our young people how to live their faith in practical ways in the real world they are unlikely to develop a meaningful, life-changing faith at all. </div> <div>  </div> <div> I have seen many examples of churches and church schools that have taken on this gospel focus and have become bright and shining lights for Christ in their communities. Basing gospel evangelism and humanitarian outreach out of our church schools makes a lot of sense because many have found that secular people are more open to coming to a school setting than a church setting. It is also a great way to involve our children in the full mission of the church from the time they are young,in this way helping us to “train up our children in the way they should go.” My prayer is for a resurgence of the 3 angels’ messages that our church holds so dear—a resurgence that is gospel-based and gospel-focused in a way that will glorify God and prepare a great harvest for our soon-coming Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.</div> <div>  </div> <div> Scott R Ward, DMin</div> <div> Assistant Professor of Discipleship and Religious Education</div> <div> For more information see collaborativeministry.org</div> <div>  </div> <div>  </div> <div>  </div> Mon, 01 Mar 2021 12:46:39 +0000